roberts



J.\M.R0BERTS. "Cigar Box.

No. 236,089. Patented-Dec. 28,1880..

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PATENT JAMES M. RORERrs, OE AUGUSTA, GEORGIA.

ClGAR-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 236,089, dated December 28, 1880.

Application led November 13, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES MADISON ROR- ERTS, of Augusta, in the county of Richmond and State of Georgia, have invented certain' new and useful Improvements iu Cigar-Boxes, of which the following-is ay full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a perspective view of one of my improved boxes. Y Fig. 2 represents a vertical section through the same.

Heretofore in the manufacture of cigars nnder the restrictions and requirements of law pertaining to revenue cigars can only be shipped from the manufactory when packed in boxes of a certain character, capable of receivin g in a certain manner the revenue-stamp provided by law, and such packages are hermetically sealed. NVhile the cigars are green it is impossible, without liability to injury thereto, to pack them in boxes of the character referred to, as molding and mustin g would inevitably be the consequence.

The object of my invention is to enable the manufacturer to atonce pack his green cigars, however freshly made, to close and seal the box, and ship them to market under the various requirements of the law; and to that eud my invention consists in a cigar-box adapted to be guarded by revenue-stamps and .provided with air-passages and regulable covers for said passages, by which they also can be thoroughly With such a box the manufacturer is" closed. enabled to put upon the market and ship, without liability to damage ou account of its condition, a fresh-made cigar, such asis deemed preferable to a dried cigar by a large portion of smokers; and this result, prior to my iuveution, was attainable only at such small manufactories as have a retail department connected therewith. Moreover, in packing freshmade cigars in a box of the character referred to the packageitself becomes charged Or filled of light and open air while drying upon the cigar-makers bench; but when dried in a box embodying my invention no loss of coloris possible. With lcigars packed in my boxes the dealer can, by graduation of the air-passages, carry in his stock a variety of cigars of equal age and variably cured to suit the various tastes of purchasers Ofunbrokeu packages of cigars, and as soon as the cigars have arrived at that degree of curing at which cigars are usually packed in boxes as heretofore he can then close the air-passages and retain the goods' in the condition of perfectly cured and flavored cigars.

'By reason of my invention it becomes possible for a small wholesale manufacturer to do a given amount of businessupon less capital, or, what amounts to the same thing, a greater amount of business ou a given capital than heretofore, because he is enabled lto more promptly mark it as manufactured stock, in addition to the advantages which his purchasers would derive throughtheir capacity to safely handle the' fresh-made goods and give them in a short time the ilavor obtained now only by age.

In the drawings, A represents the sides of a cigar-box, made iu the usual manner and of any desired form. These sides (or ends) have perforations a extending through them. Generally a row of them is placed on one side, near the bottom, to admit air within the box and around the cigars, and a row on the Opposite side, near the top, for its exit, thereby producing a uniform effect ou the entire contents of the box.

IEhe admission of air into cigar-boxes after a given length of timernecessary for curing and giving age to the cigars is conceded to be injurious to them hence it is important to have ready means for hermetically closing or partly closing the openings of the boxes. This l accomplish by means of doors b, pivoted to the sides of the box, or slides c, by which one or a series of holes can be closed. These doors or slides can be made of sheet metal or veneer. The doors b are pivoted and closely united to the sides by a screw, b', andv they are provided with a loop, b2, through which an additional screw may be used to render them immovable.

The slides c are generally inserted'into a dovel IOO tailed groove cut out ot' the side of the box, and are thus even with it, presenting no projection that may be objectionable in packing many cigar-boxes together. These slides can have perforations to match those in the side ot' the box when it is open, so as to close them all at once by moving the slide halt the distance between two holes.

I am aware that perforated paper boxes have been lined in and out with veneer 5 but these boxes cannot be considered as admitting air to the contents ot' the box, or it" they do the air is admitted constantly without any means of stopping this defect after a specified time.

I am also aware that fruit boxes and barrels have been perforated to admit air in the interior; but these have presented the same objectionable feature as above mentioned.

1 am also aware that packages or receptacles for tobacco and other articles liable to heat have been divided into parts by means of l open wire-wor t slides or stages resting in grooves and retained by spring-catches, bolts, Src., or that said packages have been provided with perforated tubes extending across them, the wirework slides being to allow spaces for air at the top and bottom or ends, into which air-valves open, and the perforated tubes are for an analogous purpose.

Having now fully described my invention, I claim- 1. A cigar-box having a regulable ventilator, whereby thc curing ot' cigars may be controlled, as set forth.

2. A cigar-box having two separate regulable ventilators for the purpose of securing a regulated current through the box, as and for the purpose set forth.

JAMES M. ROBERTS.

\Vit11esses JOHN S. DAVIDSON, R. D. HANKINsoN. 

